Worried about 2023?
Pinnacle&Co. helps businesses and organisations grow and succeed. Part of that is ongoing communication, to help address challenges you may face.
Are you/your company or organisation, wondering whether to:
- Cut back on Marketing?
- Stop all Marketing?
- Stick with the current Marketing?
- Spend more on Marketing?
We understand people’s need to protect their business. However, when it comes to marketing, Pinnacle&Co. always recommends that you hold your ground.
From 25 years of being in business, we know that marketing is essential for being (and staying) in business: don’t stop! That doesn’t mean your current strategy wouldn’t benefit from being reviewed – Pinnacle & Co. can help you with that.
10 MARKETING TIPS
#1 Don’t Stop What You’re Doing
If you’re considering cutting back or stopping your marketing completely, we advise against it. It can be SO tempting to believe spending less money on marketing/advertising is a solution, but it can have the opposite effect.
Pinnacle&Co. believes the businesses that will win in the long run, are the ones who ‘stick their head’ up; they keep themselves visible, by continuing to market their business (perhaps after adjusting the strategy, if need be).
From years of monitoring and measuring results, we know that Pinnacle&Co. clients that promote their business every month (or at least every second month), are the ones who will continue to succeed and grow their business.
#2 Beware of letting the Tail Wag the Dog
If you do stop some or all of your marketing/advertising, the risk of doing that, is initially you may still see results from previous marketing (the ‘tail’), but that may not last long.
Pinnacle&Co. has had some regular clients who stopped their marketing because they were nervous about the future … And regretted stopping.
Example: One of our long-term clients (name not supplied due to commercial sensitivity), had created a lot of business through regular marketing with us. However, in response to the overall business environment in Christchurch and New Zealand at the time (including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic), they decided to stop their marketing for three months.
Further down the track, they realised the work was drying up, so they needed to go back to promoting themselves regularly. That meant a higher marketing spend to catch up (twice as much), but they’re now happy again, with the amount of business that’s coming in.
To quote one of the owners, when they reflected on the company’s decision to stop marketing:
“That was such a stupid thing to do, why did we do that!”
#3 Consider turning UP your Marketing
Those Who Dare, Win: in some cases, doing the opposite of what fear is telling you do, can mean more success and market share.
I.e. When others are pulling back, increase your visibility. If you have some spare money from time to time, we suggest you invest it in your marketing.
If you’re our client, we’ll use your money wisely. And Pinnacle&Co. is always working on new ways to help. We keep ahead of the trends and have some innovative, new initiatives on the way, to help clients bring in regular income (watch this space!).
#4 Use Google Ads if you have the budget
Done well, Google Ads can be a highly successful marketing tool. It is, however, easy to waste money on Google Ads, if you don’t have sound advice before you start.
Our broad recommendation is a minimum of 23 Google Ads a month, which would be approximately $2,000 a month. We understand if you don’t have the budget for that – if that’s the case, another valuable business tool Pinnacle&Co. advises clients to have, is a quality CRM. (See our next Tip)
#5 Use your CRM to its fullest (or get a CRM)
If you don’t have a quality CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software system, from $50 per month it’s a low-cost business tool to help you organise, measure, set tasks, follow-up, and for sales conversions, to vastly improve your business.
For example, a CRM will help track your Sales Funnel (e.g. conversion rates), and create and store detailed client/potential clients’ information and files.
Having a CRM can also add .5 to 1% to your bottom dollar if the business is ever sold.
If you don’t have a CRM, talk to Pinnacle&Co about all the benefits. We can also show you how a CRM works (at no charge), and set your CRM up.
#6 Ask your clients / customers what brought them to you
If you’re not already, always ask new customers/clients or prospects how they became aware of your business/service/product/offer.
Knowing which marketing is working best for you is hugely important, to feel confident your marketing strategy is effective: that you’re spending wisely and in the right places.
#7 Follow up on your leads
Sounds so simple doesn’t it! If you don’t already, make a point of following up as quickly as possible, on every potential client/customer that contacts you, or every lead you’re given.
The decision on where someone takes their business, can be as simple as who followed up first (or at all!), after an enquiry was made. If you don’t follow up, and quickly, a prospective client/customer will probably assume you don’t want their business.
#8 Communicate regularly with your clients
We understand that being in business can make it hard to stay in touch with clients/ customers on a regular basis. If you’re not, it can mean you’re missing out more revenue from further business, and/or from valuable referrals.
Pinnacle&Co. helps our clients with monthly marketing campaigns (or at least every two months), to help them stay top of mind and generate referrals, which can be a big revenue-earner for many businesses.
Our help can also include professional creative services such as copywriting, and sourcing quality photos.
#9 Is your business being presented as well as it could?
From signage through to websites, people make judgements all the time, based on first impressions. How your business looks visually, is incredibly important.
For example, is your website looking fresh, does the content need to be updated? SEO is important too, to help your website rank well so it is seen!
Pinnacle&Co. can help with everything from signage, to a new website and fresh, optimised content.
#10 Facebook: upskill at a Pinnacle&Co. Seminar
We hold interactive, two-hour group Facebook Seminars once or twice a month at Pinnacle&Co. or on Zoom – run by our owner and Facebook guru, Phillippa Jacobs. You can be part of a Public Seminar, or a Private Seminar for your team. Morning or afternoon tea is provided.
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
If you’d like to talk about your marketing strategy and you’re not a Pinnacle&Co. client, you can book a complimentary 90-minute Session with Phillippa. Learn more about what Phillippa covers in the session,
on our website.
If you’re an existing Pinnacle&Co. client, we’re more than happy to meet – the coffee and chat are on us!
[…] businesses? Before we delve into this, if you didn’t get a chance to read our March Blog Post: ‘Marketing in Uncertain Times: 10 Free Tips’ – it’s well worth a read if you, your business or organisation are wondering whether to: […]